Zero Project: System Error
by Exdeathmore
Summary: A "what if" scenario story based on my other story, Zero Project. What if Zack had survived? How would this affect the events of the story? Prologue available.


**Zero Project: System Error by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Prologue: A Shield to Protect All! The Nightmare's End?**

"Hmhmhmhm..." Zero chuckled, his blade lodged within Zack's stomach. "Foolish man... you fancied yourself a hero, a sword that would smite all evil, and yet, you cannot even defeat your own phantom! You are no hero... you are merely an insect!"

"Nnngh...!" Zack grunted. He coughed up blood, trembling from the intensity of his injury. "Not yet..." Suddenly, Zack grabbed Zero's blade, still stuck in his body. Although the blade cut into his hands, he continued to grip it tightly. "I'm not done yet!"

"What!?" Zero tried to pull his blade out of Zack, but he kept it in place. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"You're right..." Zack said. "I'm no hero... Maybe I can't be the sword that smites evil like you say..." He looked up at Zero with a determined face. "But I can be the shield to protect those who can!" He rose to his feet and approached Zero, thrusting the blade further into his own body.

"Zack!!" Blossom cried out to him. "Stop! What are you doing!?"

"Making sure this ends... today!" Zack grabbed Zero in a bearhug, and turned around towards the girls. "Now, Powerpuff Girls Z, attack! While he's still immobilized! Finish him off!"

"What!?" Zero said. "This is what you were planning? You...!"

"What are you waiting for!?" Zack asked the girls. "I can't hold him here forever! Hurry and attack!"

"But Zack!" Bubbles said. "If we attack now, you'll be hit, too!"

"It's of no consequence to me..." Zack said. "But I won't allow this monster to escape again! Now attack!"

"No!!" Blossom shouted. "I can't do it! I can't hurt you on purpose, Zack!"

"Do it, Blossom!!" Zack yelled at her. "If you let this chance go to waste, I'll never forgive you for it!"

"!" Blossom gasped, looking at Zack. "…I understand..."

"Blossom...?" Buttercup looked at her. "Are you really going to...?"

"...Yes." Blossom struggled to to stand up straight on her own. "Let's go, Bubbles, Buttercup!"

"No!" Zero screamed. "I can't let it end here... not like this! Not because of _you_!!" Zero struggled to break free from Zack's grip, but could not free himself. He looked behind him to see the girls ready to attack.

"This is the end for you, you imposter!" the girls shouted at Zero as they launched three bolts of energy from their weapons. "Triple Science Attack!" The bolts converged into a single white beam, striking Zero in the back, and piercing both his and Zack's bodies. The impact of the attack blew them apart from eachother, Zero landing on his back, Zack landing face-down.

"I, impossible..." Zero stuttered, the yellow light of his eyes flickering. "T, to be beaten... by t-the likes... o-of him..." The yellow glow faded, as black smoke seeped out of his body, rising into the air.

"Zack!!" Blossom rushed over to him, trying to help him up. "Hang on, Zack! Please! We'll get you back to the lab! I'm sure the Professor can fix you!" Blossom tried to pick Zack up, but she was still weakened from her injuries, and Zack was too heavy.

"Hold on, Blossom!" Buttercup said, as she and Bubbles came over to help her. Together, all three of them lifted Zack into the air, and flew back to the lab as quickly as they could.

* * *

It was quiet at Utonium's lab. Momoko, Miyako, Kaoru, Ken, and Peach all sat silently in the lobby, waiting for the Professor to come out of the other room.

"Zack, that idiot..." Kaoru grumbled, clenching her fists. "I told him not to push himself too far, and look what happened..." Just then, the Professor entered the room, not looking very happy.

"Papa..." Ken said, "Zack... is he...?"

"…" Utonium was quiet for a moment. "His injuries are very bad. He's on life support equipment at the moment, but even that won't help for much longer..."

"!" Momoko gasped, looking at the Professor. "…You have to do something!" she shouted, jumping out of her seat.

"Momoko...!" Miyako looked at her.

"You're the world's greatest genius! You have to be able to help Zack! You have to!"

"Momoko, please let me finish." Utonium suddenly started smiling. "We _can_ save him. While examining his body, I discovered a small disk hidden in his chest cavity. Upon searching the disk's contents, I found the schematics used to create Zack, written by his creator, Dr. Sophia Nate, herself! Normally, I would have little to no knowledge of how to help Zack, but with this information, he should be able to make a full recovery!"

"He, he will...?" Momoko then rushed past the Professor and into the next room, shutting the door behind her.

"Ah, Momoko!"

"Wait, Professor," Miyako interrupted. "Let her have some time alone..."

* * *

Inside the next room, Zack was laying on top of a table, hooked up to various equipment, pieces of his armor removed where the Professor tried to examine him. His breathing was very light. Momoko ran over to his side.

"Zack!" Momoko called out to him.

"...M, Momoko..." Zack barely managed to utter. "You're okay... Thank goodness..."

"You're going to be okay, Zack! The Professor said–"

"I know... he told me." Zack smiled gently. "It seems I got lucky... Even after 20 years, she was still looking over me, taking care of me..."

"You idiot!" Momoko suddenly yelled at him. "You didn't have to be so reckless... you could've gotten yourself killed!"

"...Yes, but it's okay, the disk–"

"What if there wasn't a disk!?" As Momoko glared at Zack angrily, tears began to well up in her eyes. "If there wasn't... right now, you would be... be..."

"..." Zack was quiet for a moment. "...I'm sorry, Momoko. I'm sorry for making you cry..."

"Zack...!" Momoko threw herself onto him, burying her face in his chest, sobbing. "You idiot..."

"That's right..." Zack placed his hand on top of her head. "I'm an idiot..."

* * *

At that time, inside Zero's hideout, Sedusa stood in front of Zero's makeshift throne, staring at the empty seat.

"Zero darling, where are you?" she asked, looking worried. "Why haven't you come back?"

"_...Sedu...sa..._" A faint voice echoed throughout the area.

"Who's there?" Sedusa quickly turned around, looking for the source of the voice.

"_...Sedusa..._" Sedusa looked towards the machine that was busily manufacturing canisters of Zero's black gas, and noticed one of the monitors on the machine displaying static. She took a closer look, and on the monitor's display, a faded shape cold be made out, a shape she recognized.

"Z, Zero darling!" she gasped. "Wha, what happened to you?"

"_I have barely escaped from the grip of oblivion_," came Zero's voice from the machine, warped from the static. "_To think my plans would have been cut short by that suicidal fool...!_"

"Are you going to be okay? Is there anything you need me to do for you?"

"_My body has been destroyed... but this does not pose a major threat to my plans. It simply means that we must adopt a new strategy to achieve the same end result..._"


End file.
